We Frickin’ Love North Park

North Park is not located within city limits, but it’s worth the 20-30 minute drive from downtown. With 3,075 acres of natural beauty, it would be a shame to waste a spring or summer’s minute away from the opportunities that are out there waiting.

Bottom line—we frickin’ love North Park. It’s one of those places that we don’t mind setting up a few camp chairs and spending the work day utilizing a wireless hotspot.

Since it’s completion in 1931, this large park has been a go-to point for outdoor fanatics of the North Hills along with many city dwellers. There are a number of fun activities taking place throughout the year and the park boasts many amenities.

Some of these features include an ice skating rink, Go Ape Zip Line, a swimming pool, Over The Bar (OTB) Bicycle Cafe, boat rentals, golf course, ballfields, tennis courts, a nature center, shelters, a hockey rink and much more.

Image masterfully taken by Pittsburgh Magazine

One of the best features, in our humble opinion, is the OTB located in the boat house. The cafe overlooks a portion of the lake making it a scenic experience. Their menu has several options, most of them healthy, and they have a full service bar. You can take a walk in the park and grab a bite to eat or just sit down for a leisure meal. While the whole menu is quite tasty, we recommend Henry’s Fish Tacos.

Another nice feature of North Park is its lake. Upon looking at the park from any road that intersects it, it may seem small, but the lake itself is the largest in Allegheny County. It holds 2 million gallons of water and is a great place to kayak or fish. Venture Outdoors has a kayak, boat and bike rental located in the same boathouse as OTB. If you find yourself in the mood for a day at the park, but you are on a budget, you can go to their website for their pricing and services.

If you aren’t a water fanatic, you can check out the trails located all over the park. They can be accessed from a number of locations and are spread across the park’s entirety.

Yinzer Tips

• Looking for a new groove to your weekend morning run? Show up early in the morning, park in one of the North Park lots and start jogging as the sun comes up.
• There are more trails than meet the eye. Come in with a game plan of where you’re going to explore and where you’re going to park.